The Italian Job
by detente
Summary: Can Wheeler and Linka deal with another man competing for her affections without jeopardising their mission?
1. Chapter 1

Hey! I'm finally done with work for the term so I'm back to try and add to the, sadly tiny community of CP fanfic authors. As usual, this one is Wheeler-Linka centric (though another Planeteer actually has a part to play in their story), but I know it's what you guys are here for :-P. I'm painting a slightly different Linka, but it's about time she let her hair down a little, so to speak. The usual disclaimer: I'm making no profit from this (other than the satisfaction of childhood CP dreams) and I don't own any of the characters. P.S. Doubt this will really fall into the 'M' rating, probably more of a 'T' but since I haven't finished it, I'm erring on the side of caution…

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"I see it! I see it!" Linka cried excitedly.

Ma-Ti and Gi rushed towards the window of the Geocruiser against which her face was pressed.

"There, right there! The Coliseum! You can see it through the clouds," Linka fought to contain her eagerness.

"What's the big deal?" Wheeler shrugged, looking up from his book. "It's just an old crumbling building."

Linka threw him a look of disdain.

"Wheeler, that 'old crumbling building' is a historical-" she began.

"Come on, guys, don't fight," Gi interrupted quickly, seeing Wheeler open his mouth to argue back. "When's the next time we'll get to be in the Eternal City? We should enjoy it as much as we can while we're here!"

"We are not here to enjoy ourselves Gi," Kwame reminded her gently, from his position at the steering wheel of the Geocruiser. "We have a very serious mission."

"I know, I know. We have to bring down Looten. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun while we're at it," Gi countered. "I've always dreamed of coming here. It's such a beautiful city…"

Wheeler didn't share Gi's and Linka's enthusiasm for the Italian capital, but he had to admit that once he had done some research he saw strong romantic possibilities… He glanced at Linka, who was now leafing through their instruction manual. If only she would let him, he could make Rome their best assignment yet. He pictured taking her to the Fontana di Trevi at dusk, holding her in his arms against an fiery orange sky, and leaning down…_Fat chance!_ He laughed silently to himself. Linka would never undermine a mission by engaging in romantic trysts. But that wouldn't stop him from trying…

"What are you smiling at, Yankee?" Linka startled him out of his thoughts.

"I was just thinking, babe: Italy, you, me, pizza by moonlight…" He winked at her.

"Wheeler, we are here to work, and work only!" She protested, but Wheeler caught the smile playing on her lips.

"Sure, babe. But, we'll be undercover for a long while. So, you know, whatever happens in our spare time happens…"

"I do not know what you mean, Yankee. Anyway," she changed the subject quickly. "I think you will really like Rome, even if you think the Coliseum is just a pile of rocks…"

Wheeler groaned.

"You're not going to maker me visit all these historical sites, are you? Booooring!"

"Well, then, I guess we will not be seeing much of each other!" Linka smiled coyly and turned back to her notes.

Wheeler grinned to himself. Was that a sign? Was he reading into her words too much, as usual? He didn't care. He had decided that he was going to take his chances. If he couldn't woo Linka in Italy, when could he?

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"He should've been here half an hour ago!" Wheeler complained, looking round the deserted airport terminal.

"Don't look at us, he's _your _friend," Gi reminded him.

"I haven't seen him in years, though," Wheeler replied. "Not since his parents divorced and his dad took him back to Italy. I remember his cute sister, though!"

Linka snorted.

"Do you _ever _think of anything else?"

"Not when you're around, babe," Wheeler grinned, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"Is that him?" Linka jumped up suddenly, tearing herself away from Wheeler's touch. A tall, well-built figure was approaching them, striding purposefully across the hall.

"Wow, he's gorgeous!" Gi whispered, as the man got closer.

"Why did you not warn us, Wheeler?" Linka nudged him playfully. "We would have taken better care of our appearance!"

Wheeler rolled his eyes, but was irritated to see her run a hand through her hair and straighten her shirt. Gi, too, suddenly seemed preoccupied with the state of her clothes and hari.

"Wheeler?!" the man called out, hastening his stride. "Oh, man, I am _so _sorry. The traffic was just terrible. There was a papal ceremony and-" he reached the group of Planeteers. "Sorry, what a way to introduce myself!" He brushed a lock of dark hair away from his face.

"Hi, I'm Paolo," he grinned a welcoming smile, revealing twin dimples, as he shook Kwame's and Ma-Ti's hands. He reached Wheeler and his grin broadened as the redhead extended his hand.

"Come on, man. Just a handshake for an old friend?" He pulled Wheeler into a hug. "It's been way too long."

"Yeah, it sure has… How's your sister?" Wheeler grinned mischievously. His friend punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Married! But she used to ask about you a lot…"

"Yes! I knew it!" Wheeler laughed. Gi cleared her throat surreptitiously.

"_O Dio mio_, could I be any ruder?" Paolo shook his head, turning his attention to the two female Planeteers. "You two _bellezzas _must be Linka and Gi." He lifted each of their hands to his lips briefly, in turn.

Wheeler was annoyed to see spots of pink appear in their cheeks. He rarely got anything in return for his flirting and all it took was for Paolo to say one word in Italian and he had _both _girls falling at his feet. Ok, Wheeler had to admit, his friend had transformed from a scrawny kid into a pretty good-looking fella, with his dark olive-toned skin, thick, dark, wavy hair, pale gray-blue eyes and tall physique. But, Wheeler consoled himself, _he_ had the charm, the wit, and….and the magic ring! And anyway, Linka wasn't the type to go for looks. The bond she and Wheeler had developed over years of saving the planet together would surely triumph over any physical attraction she felt for Paolo…

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"So what is it you do, Paolo?" Linka asked, aware that her voice was a lot more high-pitched than usual. She forced herself to bring it down to its normal tone. "You mentioned something about music?"

"Well, it's nothing as exciting as being a Planeteer," Paolo turned to smile at her briefly from his position at the steering wheel of the jeep, as it inched through the Roman traffic. "But, yeah, I'm into music. I play guitar in a band, but my real job is working with an archaeological conservation group. Pretty boring, really."

"Oh no, that sounds really interesting," Gi jumped in, smiling at him from the passenger's seat. Linka felt a brief flash of irritation. Gi had practically pushed everyone out of the way to sit next to Paolo…Not that Linka cared, of course… They were on a mission, and Paolo's only job was to assist them. It would be highly unprofessional for anything else to happen. But Linka could not help her mind from straying. The Italian-American had something she could not quite pinpoint but it made her stomach somersault, especially when his baritone voice melted into the smooth Italian phrases…She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts.

"Hey, babe, what's that building?" Wheeler's voice startled her. He reached his arm around her shoulder to point outside the window. "I'm trying to get into all this stuff you're interested in."

"I do not know, Wheeler," Linka replied, more sharply than she had intended. "And please do not call me 'babe'," she added in a low voice so that no-one else could hear. "It is not appropriate. We are here to work." Wheeler raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing, and turned to look out the window. Linka felt sorry for having snapped at him, but her attention was distracted by the fact that Gi had now fully engaged Paolo in conversation. Despite what she told herself to feel, it annoyed her.


	2. Chapter 2

"I think it is time we debriefed with Gaia," Kwame said, pushing his chair away from the dining table. They had been enjoying cups of freshly made coffee after a satisfying dinner.

"Do you need any help cleaning up, Paolo?" Gi asked, jumping up before anyone else could move. Wheeler groaned under his breath, and glanced at Linka to see if she too was fawning over him. He was somewhat pleased to see that she appeared as irritated by Gi's behaviour as he was.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Paolo smiled affably. "You guys have important stuff to do. I've got it covered."

"Paolo, you are part of this mission too," Kwame reminded him. "You are welcome to join us."

"Thanks but I kinda get the feeling the less I know about this whole thing, the better for my safety!" Paolo quipped.

Gi and Linka giggled, and Wheeler rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that evening. He looked at Kwame and Ma-Ti to see if they, too, had picked up on the girls' silly behaviour, but they seemed to not have noticed anything amiss.

The Planeteers left Paolo to clear up and headed to the tiny living room of the apartment they were renting for the duration of their stay. Ma-Ti, Gi and Linka squeezed onto the couch, while Kwame and Wheeler perched on the armrests. They waited patiently for Ma-Ti to contact Gaia. After a few moments the familiar figure began to shimmer into shape. Seconds later, Gaia stood in front of them, her purple toga draped elegantly across her statuesque figure.

"Good evening, Planeteers. I hope that you had an enjoyable journey here," she greeted them.

"It was wonderful, Gaia!" Linka's eyes lit up. "The view above Rome was fantastic; so beautiful and-"

"Yeah, Linka, we all saw it, guh-reat" Wheeler interrupted impatiently. Linka glanced at him, a hurt expression in her eyes and then looked down at her lap. Gi glared at Wheeler.

"Sorry," he mumbled. He was unhappy with Linka but had not meant to hurt her.

"Listen, Planeteers," Gaia broke the uncomfortable silence. "I have received new information that the organisation trying to destroy Italy's World Heritage Sites have expanded their base to include Milan. I will need two of you to head there and try and infiltrate."

"Linka and I will go," Wheeler volunteered, putting his hand on the Russian's shoulder, by way of apology for his previous sniping comment.

"Wheeler!" Linka glared at him, shaking off his touch. "Do not make my decisions for me. I am sorry, Gaia," she turned to her. "But I feel that I have done so much research on Rome that I will best serve the mission here."

"In that case, Wheeler and I will go to Milan," Kwame said quickly, seeking to defuse the tension in the room.

"No way!" Wheeler exclaimed. His face flushed as he realised his fellow Planeteers were looking at him in bewilderment.

He paused, looking at their expectant faces. How was he supposed to explain his outburst? That he didn't want to leave Linka with Paolo? They would all think he was being ridiculous, and Linka would be offended that he thought her so shallow as to fall for him at first sight.

"I-I kinda like Rome" he finished lamely.

"Oooook…" he heard Gi mutter, and felt his face blush deepen. He was making a fool of himself. He knew that he had to have more faith in Linka, or risk destroying whatever it was he shared with the Russian.

"I do not mind going with you, Gi," Ma-Ti said, turning to her.

"Erm…" Now it was Gi's turn to look uncomfortable. She glanced at Linka so fleetingly that Wheeler was not sure she had even moved. "I've also done a lot of research, and I don't want it to go to waste," she said, avoiding Gaia's gaze.

Kwame sighed, and Wheeler wondered whether he had finally cottoned on, too.

"Well, it looks like it is you and me, Ma-Ti," he said. "When will you need us to leave, Gaia?"

"According to my information, they will not be setting up for a few days, but if you can leave tomorrow, that would be great," Gaia responded, looking relieved that a decision had finally made. "But I want you to enjoy your first evening in Rome, so I have arranged a little surprise…" With a twinkle in her eye, she faded out of sight.

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"It was great of Gaia to get these Eco-scooters for us, huh, babe?" Wheeler shouted over his shoulder at Linka, who was clutching him tightly, as they made their way down a side street.

"Yes, this is wonderful way to see the city!" Linka shouted back.

Wheeler was glad that she did not protest his term of affection. She had warmed considerably as their winding journey through the Rome's hills had progressed. He had been worried by the sour look that had set in her face as Gi had jumped onto the first scooter with Paolo, and Ma-Ti had hopped on behind Kwame, leaving her stuck with Wheeler. At least, he had mused, she had been willing to let him drive. And that was crucial to his plan…

He peered ahead through the visor of his helmet, struggling to make out the two scooters moving more rapidly ahead of him in the fading light of Rome's dusk. As soon as he had assured they were far enough out of sight, he made an abrupt turn into a side passage.

"Wheeler, what are you doing?" Linka cried, her voice muffled through her helmet.

"Don't worry, Linka, I know where I'm going!"

Twenty minutes later, as the scooter trundled through a side lane that looked exactly like all the others they had passed through, Wheeler had to admit he was completely lost.

"Yankee, where are we?" Linka asked, as he stopped the scooter's engine in front of a closed café.

"I don't know, babe," Wheeler sighed, pulling off his helmet. "I was trying to take you to the Trevi fountain thing. It's supposed to be really nice at night, but I don't think we'll ever find it…"

"Oh, Wheeler," Linka chuckled, also removing her helmet. "You should have said something." She reached inside her jacket pocket and pulled out a neatly folded map and small torch.

"These should help," she laughed, passing them to him.

Wheeler unfolded the map and held it down against the handles of the scooter in one hand, the torch in the other. He tried to give it his full attention, but was suddenly acutely aware of Linka's warm body pressed against his, her chin resting on his shoulder, and her hair brushing lightly against his cheek, as she examined the map from behind him.

"Wheeler!"

"Hmmm…"

"Did you hear anything I just said?!"

"I'm sorry," he grinned, turning his head so that his face was centimetres from hers. "But it's difficult to concentrate."

He leaned in towards her, but she pulled away just before his lips could touch hers, leaving him kissing empty air.

"Yankee," she tapped his nose admonishingly. "Focus. Now," she turned back to the map. "If we follow this road…"

Wheeler sighed almost imperceptibly. He was used to this response but he never gave up hope that she would one day respond in the way he desired…

Five minutes later, having finally figured out their route, Wheeler folded up the map. To his surprise, Linka leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Wheeler turned to her, a broad smile on his face.

"Oh, just to say thank you for trying, Yankee. I know these things do not interest you and you are doing this for me. Even though you got us horribly lost in a dark side street, in a foreign city where we do not speak the language…"

"Ok, I get it. I get it," Wheeler pulled a face, and drew his helmet back over his head. "I messed up. But I'm gonna make it up to you, babe, I promise. You ready?"

He turned to make sure Linka's helmet was secured, and, smiling to himself at the tight grip she had around his waist, gunned the engine and sped into the darkness.

"Oh, crap!" Wheeler cursed, pulling off his helmet and surveying the scene in front of him. A huge crowd was massed across the square in front of the _Fontana di Trevi_, which rose up magnificently behind the throng of tourists.

"What is the matter?" Linka asked, dismounting, and looking around in awe.

"Just…so many people…" Wheeler muttered.

He supposed he had been extremely optimistic and naïve to imagine that they would somehow have the place to themselves, but the place reminded him of Times Square on New Year's Eve!

"This is amazing," Linka breathed, not hearing him. "Come on, Wheeler."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the magnificent edifice. Weaving through the crowd, they finally made it close enough to be able to distinguish the hundreds of coins glimmering on the floor of the fountain.

"I am speechless, Yankee," Linka sighed, gazing in wonder at the stone structure, with its intricate carvings, and the soft rush of water tumbling over the rocks.

Wheeler resisted the urge to make a joke, instead taking the opportunity to put his arm around her waist. She was too engrossed by the famous landmark to even notice. For a few moments, they stood in silence, admiring the statues adorning the fountain, the soft lighting revealing each one's perfect sculpture. Wheeler had no idea what they were meant to represent but he felt awed nonetheless. He could see why thousands had flocked there that evening: it was simply stunning.

Linka shivered slightly, and his attention quickly snapped back to her. Here, suddenly, was the chance he had been waiting for. He slowly drew her into his arms, wrapping them around her waist, and silently cheering she did not resist him.

The Roman evening sky had long since deepened to a blue-black carpet, but Linka's face was illuminated perfectly by the light from the fountain, beautiful as ever. Suddenly, all sound but that of water trickling against stone seemed to have melted away. Wheeler could feel his heart pounding furiously as he leaned his head down towards Linka's…Their lips met for one, fleeting moment, during which Wheeler allowed himself to believe that his dreams were finally coming true, before a heavy figure crashed into his side. He was flung sideways, struggling to keep his balance. Finally finding his feet and checking that Linka was unhurt, he turned to face his attacker angrily.

A short, slightly balding man faced him, a string of Italian words tumbling from his mouth. He was apologising profusely, Wheeler could tell, but his annoyance did not fade with the man's genuine remorse.

He turned back to Linka once the intruder had retreated, but, looking into her eyes, he could tell the moment had passed. With her, he knew, there was a small window of opportunity and he had just missed it. He cursed under his breath at the clumsy tourist.

So far, Italy was just turning out to be one big disappointment after another…


	3. Chapter 3

"Have we ever had this much fun on an entire mission, let alone on the first night?" Gi giggled, as she, Linka, Wheeler and Paolo edged towards the front of the queue. They were standing in front of the doors of a small, but stylish-looking club, from which thumping bass beats emanated.

"I know! It is a shame Kwame would not come, though," Linka mused.

"Yeah, well, someone had to stay with Ma-Ti," Gi reasoned. "Gosh, we've been together so long, and he _still _hasn't turned 18…"

"I suppose they both had to get an early night since they are leaving early, anyway," Linka said, trying to lessen her guilt.

"How do I look?" Gi changed the subject, glancing at the two boys, who, in any case, were paying them no attention, engaged as they were in a lively conversation about their school days.

"You look beautiful, Gi," Linka smiled. "And me?" she added, cheeks reddening slightly. She rarely allowed herself to behave in such a carefree manner, and it had been a long time since she had had an occasion to dress up, but with Gi there it had been difficult to repress the urge to be so girly.

"Linka, you don't even need to ask. You know you always look amazing!" Gi assured her. "Now promise me you're not going to do anything I wouldn't do, because you're going to have a lot of men throwing themselves at you in there!"

"Gi!" Linka blushed furiously. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about!"

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"I have to say, Wheeler, it looks like you've got a pretty great deal," Paolo said, slapping his friend on the back.

They were stood together at the bar, with Linka and Gi having disappeared on another one of their mysterious, giggly trips to the bathroom. Why they always had to go together neither boy could fathom, but they knew better than to ask.

"Huh?" Wheeler took a sip of his drink. Paolo's voice seemed to be coming from a lot further a way than where he was standing, and as the night wore on he was finding it increasingly difficult to detangle one word from another. "Are you evening speaking English, man?"

"_Oddio!_" Paolo laughed, taking his glass from him. "I think you've had too much to drink!"

"No, I haven't," Wheeler protested, snatching his drink back from his friend. "It's you! You keep speaking Italian!" _Not that I'm complaining, _he added silently, _it's winning over all the ladies. _Even though it was clear they were with Linka and Gi, there had been no short supply of women approaching them over the course of the night… But through the alcohol-sodden haze of his mind, Wheeler had managed to remain aware that there was only one he really wanted anything from …

"Anyway, all I'm saying is that your life seems to be pretty perfect right now. You get to save the world and travel the globe. Not to mention working with two gorgeous women!" Paolo added.

Wheeler laughed, but a sense of misgiving was rising in the back of his mind.

"So…anything ever happen between you and Gi or Linka?" Paolo continued casually.

Wheeler's suddenly experienced a moment of clarity. He could see where the conversation was leading, but he didn't know how to respond. He wanted to tell Paolo that Linka was his, and to focus his attention elsewhere, but he knew he had no right to do so. If Paolo liked her –and who could blame him– and she felt the same, then it was not his place to jeopardise her chances, as much as it would hurt him to watch anything unfold between them.

"Er…no…I mean, come on, we're colleagues," he finally said, unconvincing even to his own ears. "It would just be unprofessional, wouldn't it?"

"That doesn't sound like the Wheeler I know!" Paolo cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you so interested, anyway?" Wheeler demanded, trying to turn the conversation away from himself. "You like one of them?"

"Well, Gi seems really cool…" Paolo began, and Wheeler felt a wave of relief wash over him. If Paolo liked Gi, there was absolutely no problem. Wheeler could even help him out…"But… I don't know, she's coming on a bit strong!" Paolo continued. "Now, Linka…there's a girl who knows how to play it cool!"

"Tell me about it," Wheeler muttered into his glass, downing the last of his drink.

"I mean, they're both obviously intelligent, and really pretty," Paolo continued. "But Linka-she's got something else. I don't know how to explain it. It seems stupid saying this, since I only met her today!"

Wheeler's head snapped up. He recognised the look in his friend's eyes, and it was not a good sign…

"Yeah, um, she's definitely something," Wheeler said, forcing himself to keep his voice even. Over Paolo's shoulder he saw Link and Gi approaching them. "Look, just don't do anything to hurt her," he said quickly, quietly. Paolo frowned.

"What are you talking about? Hurt her?"

"I mean it," Wheeler pressed, aware that he was slurring his words and probably making little sense. "If you ever make her cry, I swear I will-"

"Wheeler, man," Paolo interrupted, a look of genuine confusion on his face. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but you'd better stop drinking if you intend to get home in one piece!"

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"Kwame isn't going to be happy!" Wheeler groaned, pressing his forehead against a refreshingly cool glass of water. He was slumped in a chair in the kitchen, while Gi and Linka looked on, concerned.

"Wheeler, is there anything we can do to help?" Gi asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Seriously," he added, seeing the look of uncertainty on her face. "You can go to bed."

"Ok, well, if you're sure," Gi said reluctantly. She bid him goodnight and headed for the room she shared with Linka as quietly as she could, so as not to wake up the other Planeteers.

Wheeler rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Linka still standing over him.

"Linka, I told you, you can go," he insisted.

"Are you sure you are okay, Yankee?" she asked, anxiously, taking a seat next to him and placing a hand over his. For one devious moment, Wheeler considered using her sympathy to his advantage but his conscience and increasingly sober mind dismissed the thought quickly.

"Yeah, babe. I just overdid it a little," he confessed. "Pretty embarrassing, huh?"

"A little bit, _da_," Linka giggled. "But I …er…had quite a bit to drink too so I will not judge you."

"Oh yeah, don't think I didn't notice!" Wheeler teased. "I saw you on that dance floor. Never knew you had those moves in you…"

Linka blushed slightly.

"Well, Yankee, you have yet to learn a lot about me," she smiled shyly, refusing to look him in the eye.

Wheeler could not believe his ears. Was she…flirting? He decided to take his chance.

"Well, I'm a willing student," he said, in a low voice. "Linka, I-"

"Shhh. You talk too much," she interrupted him, putting a finger over his lips. "All night I have been wondering when you were going to try to kiss me. This is your last chance…"

Wheeler was now certain he was in some dream-world. The real Linka simply did not behave like this. Not that his was going to say no! Like she said, this was his last chance. Hardly daring to believe his luck, he leaned in towards her and gently pressed his lips to hers. When she did not move away, he deepened the kiss, moving his hands to her face as hers snaked into his hair. For a few, heartstopping, moments they remained locked together, each one's lips passionately exploring the other's. Finally, Linka pulled away (as usual, Wheeler thought, regretfully), and looked into his eyes, fixing them in her gaze for what seemed like a glorious eternity.

"Goodnight, Wheeler," she said finally, standing up and allowing her fingers to linger on the back of his neck as she floated past the stunned American to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

The sunlight pouring through the curtains was making Linka's head spin. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow, hoping the cool, smooth surface would calm her pounding headache. The events of the previous night were a furry haze in her mind. She remembered a club. Dancing. Gi giggling a lot. Wheeler and Paolo, each looking ridiculously attractive in their own way…She racked her brain trying to fill in the details. Maybe Gi could help her, but how embarrassing to have to ask. As if on cue, a groan came from the bed across the room.

"Gi?"

"Aaargh. Please, don't shout," came the muffled response, from under the covers. "And can

someone do something about the room revolving?"

Despite her throbbing head, Linka had to laugh.

"Oh, good. It is not just me, then!"

"I think we all went overboard, Linka," Gi said, finally emerging from under her sheets, to reveal a pale and drawn face. "It was fun, though. We hardly ever get to do anything like that. But still…next time, not so much…"

"There will be no next time for me!" Linka said adamantly. "I am never touching another drop of alcohol again!"

Gi laughed.

"Sure. That's what everyone says… So…this Paolo guy, then…what do you think?" she asked offhandedly.

Linka felt her cheeks begin to redden, as, suddenly, the memories of the previous night began to rush back. She remembered deliberately avoiding talking about Paolo when she was left alone with Gi…

"I think he will be very helpful for our mission," she started, evading the real question. "He seems to have a good knowledge of-"

"Not like that, Linka!" Gi snorted. "You know…"

"Oh…" Linka refused to meet her friends eyes. "He seems like a nice person-"

"A bit arrogant for my liking," Gi interrupted.

"Da," Linka agreed. _But I find it strangely attractive, _she added to herselfIt was the same trait Wheeler had that she found infuriating and alluring in equal measure. That way that he just assumed that she would eventually fall under his charms…She had seen the same confidence in Paolo throughout the previous night whenever he spoke to women, though he never seemed aware of it.

"Anyway," Gi continued, dragging herself slowly out of bed. "You already have one guy falling over you. Who needs the distraction of another?!" She made her way to the bathroom, then turned back to Linka at the door. "Well, since neither of us likes him that way, and we're on a serious mission here, I hereby declare Paolo officially off-limits!" she joked.

Linka laughed, too, but her expression turned pensive once her friend had left the room.

She could not remember ever having felt as confused as she had over the course of the previous day: There was the initial thrill of meeting Paolo, the sudden, unexpected attraction… Then there that moment with Wheeler by the fountain…And then the jealous flush that had enveloped her whenever women approached either one in the club…And finally, she now remembered, that kiss… What had she led Wheeler to believe? What kind of person did he now think she was? Her behaviour, she reflected, had been completely uncharacteristic since she had landed in Rome and she did not like this new, uninhibited Linka one bit.

She knew why she held back so steadfastly against Wheeler's advances for so long. There was no way that she could give in to him and be serious about her work at the same time. Her professionalism was extremely important to her, and she had compromised. Because of the previous night she was not in peak condition to take on the day's tasks, she thought angrily, as she got laboriously to her feet. Well, she was done humiliating herself. From now on, she decided, whether or not Gi had meant it as a joke, she was not going to let Paolo –or Wheeler– interfere with the mission.

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"Kwame and Ma-Ti left at eight," Wheeler informed his fellow Planeteers, as he strolled into the kitchen. He looked haggard but happy "They left a note in the room."

"Not surprised they didn't say goodbye," Gi said, taking a sip from her coffee. "We were out cold!"

She and Wheeler chuckled, but Linka scowled.

"What's the matter, babe?" Wheeler asked, glancing at her.

"We should not have stayed out so long," Linka said irritably. "Now the whole morning has gone by and we have not done any work at all!"

"If you ask me, it was well worth it!" Wheeler grinned suggestively at her. His smile faded as Linka threw him a dirty look. "Hmm…looks like someone got up on the wrong side of bed this morning…" he joked.

"Wheeler, this is not a laughing matter!" Linka said hotly.

"Relax, Linka," Gi stepped in. "We all had fun. I'm sure Kwame and Ma-Ti don't mind. No harm was done."

Linka bit back her response, but her mouth remained in an uncompromising line.

Despite her frosty demeanour, Wheeler could not help grinning to himself as he went over the previous night's events in his mind. As soon as Gi had left the room and he could no longer contain himself, he confronted Linka.

"So, babe, last night…" he began. Linka's face immediately flushed. She stood up quickly, turning away from him.

"Wheeler…I-I," she paused. "It was nothing." She went to the sink and busied herself washing up.

"Linka, come on. How can you say that?" Wheeler protested, going to her side. Linka refused to meet his eye, scrubbing a fork industriously.

"Linka, look at me," Wheeler said gently, turning her round by the shoulders.

"Wheeler, please," she pleaded, and her eyes, he saw, were filled with emotion. "I really do not want to talk about it. I said and did some things that I should not have. Can we just forget it, please?"

Wheeler had rarely seen her beg, and the desperation in her voice told him to let it lie, even though his heart was telling him to push this vulnerable Linka. As much as he wanted her to confess how she really felt, what last night's kiss had meant to her, he could see that she was truly embarrassed and now was not the time. He consoled himself with the thought that he had surely not seen the last of the new, uninhibited side of Linka.


	5. Chapter 5

"And this building was commissioned by the emperor," Paolo explained, gesturing at a crumbling stone structure. Gi, Wheeler and Linka nodded and pretended to take notes on their pads. They had been following a lead for several days and were now trailing a suspected accomplice of Looten Plunder, masquerading as tourists, with Paolo as their guide. The suspect had entered a bakery and the group hung slightly back, waiting for him to emerge.

Suddenly loud chanting filled the afternoon air, and a large crowd spilled out of a nearby bar. Several blue-shirted men detached themselves from the group and stationed themselves along the street.

"This doesn't look good," Paolo muttered.

"What is it?" Gi asked, looking nervously at the men, who appeared to be waiting impatiently for something to appear.

"It's derby day…The biggest football match in the city," he explained, seeing the look of confusion on the Planeteers' faces. "Those are the Lazio fans, and if the Roma fans show up around here there is guaranteed to be trouble."

As if on cue, a great mass of orange and red appeared on the far side of the large square in which they were standing.

"We need to get away from here," Paolo said urgently, as a Lazio fan spotted the enemy and began to shout excitedly.

"But, what about Pazzini," Wheeler gestured towards the bakery. "We'll lose the trail…it took us so long to track him down."

"Wheeler, trust me, you do not want to be around when those _tifosi _reach us," Paolo warned. "Look, we'll just go down that alleyway, which should take us to the back of the bakery. We might be able to see inside from there."

Before Wheeler could protest any further, a shrill whistle blasted from behind him. The group turned round to see several riot policemen, armed with batons and holding plastic shields lining up along the street. The policeman at the forefront shouted angrily at the group of fans, to which the response was a missile aimed at his head. It narrowly missed him, but was taken as a sign by his colleagues to begin advancing on the crowd, batons raised. At the other end of the square, the first few Roma fans had reached their counterparts, and the Planeteers could see that it was only a matter of time before someone provoked the other side and chaos erupted.

"Come on," Paolo urged. Surveying the scene before them, Wheeler, Linka and Gi needed no second invitation. They slipped away from the crowd, following Paolo down a side street…only to run into a larger group of fans charging towards the square from whence they had come.

The angry crowd enveloped them, and within seconds Linka had lost sight of the others. She searched desperately for them, but the crowd was thickening, and she was being shoved from side to side as she tried to fight against the tide. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed her arm and dragged her backwards. She instinctively raised her arm, preparing to use her ring.

She lowered it once she saw that it was only Paolo, pulling her to safety down an alley.

"Wheeler and Gi-" she began worriedly, glancing behind them at the crowd roaring past.

"I saw them turn into another street. They should be ok. We just need to wait for these guys to pass," Paolo reassured her.

"Is all this…normal," Linka asked, as they hurried further down the alley, away from the crowd.

"Not really," Paolo replied. "It only happens twice a year. There are always a few idiots looking for trouble. It-"

He was interrupted by the sound of a heavy metal door groaning open. They turned around, and, to Linka's horror, Pazzini and two large men she recognised from previous missions as Looten Plunder's sidekicks emerged, engrossed in conversation.

"Those are Plunder's men! They will recognise me!" she whispered urgently, turning to Paolo.

"Why don't you just use your ring-" Paolo began.

"No! Plunder does not know we are here. It would break our cover." Linka looked around desperately. The street was a cul de sac: at one end a solid stone wall, and between them and the main road were Plunder's accomplices. Out of the corner of her eye Linka saw one of the men separate from the group and heard footsteps approaching them. Panic rose in her throat. Any moment now he would be upon them, and even if she could use her ring to escape, Looten would find out they were on his trail and the whole mission would be jeopardised.

All of a sudden, Paolo pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, and drawing her head towards his so that her face was buried in his neck, out of sight. To anyone looking on, they appeared to be a couple in a passionate embrace.

Linka hardly dared to breathe as the footsteps grew closer then stopped. She heard the man closest to them call out something, then laughter from the others before the voices gradually faded away. She waited for several moments until she was certain that she and Paolo were alone before daring to lift her head.

"That was close!" he grinned at her nervously.

"Too close," Linka agreed.

Suddenly aware of his arms around her and the warm contact between their two bodies, she suddenly felt very short of breath. Paolo must have noticed the colour rising to her cheeks, for he quickly released her.

"Sorry," he said. "I hope that wasn't…I mean, I had to hid your face…"

"No, it is ok," Linka said, wishing she could control the flush creeping up her face. "It worked, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Paolo grinned, and Linka felt strangely weak as the dimples appeared.

"You two having fun?," A cold voice startled them. Linka jumped away from Paolo and turned around. Wheeler was standing a few feet back, his blue eyes blazing with unabashed anger, and face drained of colour. Gi was stood slightly behind him, eyes wide.

"Wheeler! Gi! Oh, thank goodness you are safe. We just-" Linka began, approaching them tentatively.

"Forget it," Wheeler snarled, throwing them such a dirty look that Linka shrank back. "If you two can keep your hands off each other for long enough, we have a job to do."

"Wheeler, it wasn't-" Linka started.

"Hey, it was nothing like-" Paolo said at the same time.

But Wheeler had already turned away from them, and was striding down the street. Gi appeared frozen on the spot, looking from Paolo to Linka, unsure of what to say. Eventually she too turned and followed Wheeler.

Linka sighed. Despite her best intentions, everything seemed to be falling apart.


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe we followed that guy around all day and didn't find out anything new!" Gi complained, as she collapsed on to her bed.

"And we almost got caught up in a hooligan fight," Linka added, also sinking onto her bed. She felt physically and emotionally drained after the day's events.

"Yeah, crazy…" Gi shook her head, then raised herself up on her elbows. She paused, considering her next words carefully.

"Linka, I thought you said you didn't like Paolo…" She tried to sound nonchalant but Linka could see hurt in her friend's eyes. She sighed, knowing that this moment had been coming. Wheeler had avoided her studiously all afternoon, but she knew that sooner or later she would have to confront him, too, and defend herself.

"I do not like him," she replied. "Not like that…"

"That's not what it looked like…" Gi muttered.

Linka had been prepared to apologise but at these words she suddenly felt very angry. Why did everyone think so little of her? Did they really think that she was completely unable to control herself and had no thought for the safety of their mission?

"If you do not like him either, why do you care?" she bit back.

"Because-because," Gi began uncertainly. "Look Linka, it's not good for the group."

"I cannot believe what I am hearing," Linka said heatedly. "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Well, it's clear there's something going on…" Gi replied, her voice rising too.

"And so what if there is?" Linka countered, lifting her chin defiantly. "It is nobody else's business."

"That's not true, Linka, and you know it," Gi charged. "You've seen what it's doing to Wheeler."

"That is his concern," Linka said coldly. All thoughts of conciliation were now gone from her head. Neither one of her friends had been willing to give her a chance to give her side of the story and their lack of trust hurt deeply.

"How can you even say that?" Gi said angrily. "Here's a guy who's willing to give you everything, but I guess that's not good enough for you, is it?" she sniped. "I never thought I'd say this, Linka, but you're being very inconsiderate to other people's feelings!"

"You mean I am not standing back so you can jump all over Paolo?" Linka snapped back. The look of shock on her friend's face did not concern Linka. It seemed to her that not only had everyone else assumed the right to judge her, but also to decide how she should feel about whom, and she was not going to stand for it any longer.

"Linka! That's just not-"

"I do not want to hear it, Gi. Everyone else has a right to do what they want except for me. You can throw yourself at Paolo and it is not a problem. Wheeler flirts with any girl who comes our way, and nobody ever complains. Yet, I do not even do anything, and I get accused of- of not caring about our job!" Linka's eyes were filling with hot tears of anger.

She picked up her jacket and made her way to the door. "I am going out. I need to be alone." Before Gi could stop her, she had left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Linka stormed down the stairwell, choked by the whirlwind of emotions churning inside her, and crashing into the figure making its way up.

"Oh, Paolo, I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Woah, there!" he reached out an arm to steady her. "Are you ok, Linka?" He asked, noticing the expression on her face.

"Yes, I am fine…No, actually that is not true," she admitted, not knowing why she was suddenly letting her guard down. "I…it has been a long day. I just need to get out and clear my head a little bit."

"You look like you could use some company. I know the perfect place…" He extended an arm, smiling.

"I-I…" Linka hesitated. "Did you not come to see others?"

"It's not urgent. I was only gonna ask about lunch tomorrow. You look like you need more help...don't leave me hanging!" He glanced down at his still outstretched arm then back at her, pulling a sad face. Linka laughed despite herself.

"Ok, Paolo, you have convinced me. But I want to go somewhere I can forget everything else and just admire your wonderful city."

"Deal," Paolo grinned disarmingly.

As they made their way down the stairs and out the door of the building into the cool, Roman evening, Linka could hear the alarm bells ringing in her head. This was probably a bad idea, and she could just imagine the other Planeteers' faces if they were to look outside the window at that moment and see her walking arm in arm with Paolo. But then, she thought irritably, who were they to decide how she should behave? She was strict enough with herself; she did not need them telling her what she could and could not do. And, she thought spitefully, if everyone was going to treat her as though she had done some great wrong, then she may as well give them something real to be angry at…

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Linka watched admiringly as the sun slowly faded from the Roman horizon. From their vantage point at the top of the Spanish Steps, she and Paolo had a picturesque view of the city spread out below them. It was just what she needed to calm the tempest that had been raging inside her.

"This is nice," she murmured, partly to herself.

"What is?" Paolo glanced at her. He had been watching a young musician trying to earn money by serenading an older couple who were trying discretely to pretend he didn't exist.

"Oh, everything. The view. Making small chat…"

"Small talk," Paolo smiled.

Linka smiled back, but sighed softly to herself. She had been trying to avoid thinking about her colleague but Paolo reminded her so much of Wheeler, right down to the way he gently corrected her English…

As if reading her mind, Paolo turned to her and said quietly, "So you and Wheeler, huh? Seems complicated…"

Linka wished desperately she could control the sudden rising flush in her cheeks.

"No, it is all very simple," she lied. "He was just in a bad mood this afternoon. But we are just friends."

"Oh…that's pretty much what he said, too," Paolo mused.

_Oh, really, _Linka thought to herself. _Well, then…_

"Well, so long as we are on the topic…" She paused, blushing more deeply. "What about you and Gi?"

Paolo turned to look at her, eyebrows raised.

"What _about_ me and Gi?"

"Well, she seems to like you…" Linka felt like she was being disloyal her friend, but the words seemed to be flowing from her mouth of their own accord. Paolo had somehow knocked down all the walls she had so carefully constructed around her emotions, something that only one other person in her life had been able to do…

"Gi is a lovely person," Paolo said. He paused and looked at her, his eyes suddenly very intense. "But I think _you_ are amazing, Linka…"

Linka caught her breath as he leaned in slowly towards her. His lips captured hers, and she responded readily, but something did not quite feel right. She felt a deep sense of betrayal, but to whom she was not entirely sure.

"Paolo," she breathed, when they pulled apart. "This does not make any sense. I will be leaving as soon as-"

"I know, I know," he interrupted. "I've thought about it a lot. But why worry about the future? You guys have a job to do and I really don't want to get in the way of that. But there's no reason we shouldn't have fun when we can. But we'll be discrete," he added quickly, anticipating her next words. "No one else needs to know, if that's what you're worried about."

He leaned his face closer to hers again, but even as he kissed her, all Linka could see was the disapproving glare of her fellow Planeteers, Wheeler's face, in particular, standing out. She forced him from her mind. This was, after all, the freedom she had craved, was it not?


	7. Chapter 7

The return of his friends from Milan that evening had done nothing to draw Wheeler out of his foul mood. They had all gathered around the dinner table to discuss Ma-Ti and Kwame's findings, but Wheeler could not bring himself to join in the excited chatter. Every now and then he had glanced over at Linka, and the Russian had caught his eye, but had not said a word. In fact, she had barely spoken to him since he had caught her in the alleyway with Paolo…_Well, good,_ Wheeler thought to himself bitterly. He didn't need to hear all the sordid details of what had happened in the moments before he had seen her in his arms.

"Wheeler!" Kwame's voice drew him from his angry thoughts. "Have you nothing to say about all this?"

"What do you want me to say?" Wheeler snapped. "You didn't find anything new. Looten's behind it and he has the backing of some top-level politicians so we can't pin it on him, but we already knew that. We haven't made any progress at all. This whole trip has been one big, pointless pile of crap!"

The other Planeteers looked at him in surprise, but he didn't feel compelled to justify his outburst, instead leaning back in his chair, and folding his arms across his chest defiantly. His blue eyes blazed, daring anyone to challenge him. At the corner of his eye, he could see Linka watching him, but refused to meet her gaze directly. He knew that if he looked at her, the tough front he had put on would fall away and she would see how much he was hurting. He would not, he told himself, give her that satisfaction.

"Wheeler, that's not true," Gi protested, breaking the tense silence. "Thanks to Ma-Ti and Kwame we now know exactly which sites Looten is going to try and destroy with his toxins."

"Fan-freaking-tastic," Wheeler sniped. "So let's just track him down and foil him, already. I'm sick of this whole country."

Kwame's raised his eyebrows slightly, but said nothing.

_Wheeler, are you all right? _Ma-Ti's voice echoed suddenly in Wheeler's head.

_Stay out of it, Ma-Ti. _He glared at the young Planeteer across the table.

_I am only trying to help you, Wheeler. _

_Yeah, well, you can't. Just leave me alone, ok?_

_As you wish._

Wheeler sighed, as he felt Ma-Ti's presence fade away from his mind. He hadn't meant to hurt the youngster but he had enough trouble dealing with his own thoughts without anyone else's intrusion.


	8. Chapter 8

"You cannot keep ignoring me forever, Yankee," Linka said softly.

She and Wheeler were alone in the kitchen of the hotel in which they were working undercover. A few doors down, Looten Plunder was holding a conference at which the Planeteers suspected he was finalising his plans. The others were stationed at various points in the hotel, ready to trail each member of Looten's cohort as soon as they left the meeting. Linka did not know how she had ended up paired with Wheeler when it was clear to everyone that they were not getting along, but she was glad for the opportunity to try and resolve things. She was fairly certain that he knew nothing of what had happened between her and Paolo on the Spanish Steps, and she had carefully avoided being left alone with the Italian, but still, Wheeler had been sulking constantly, scowling deeply any time Paolo's name was even mentioned. Linka had made her best efforts to be pleasant around him but his attitude was beginning to irritate her. One part of her wanted to just leave him be; it was not her problem whether he was letting his imagination run wild with images of her and Paolo. But the other part knew that she had to explain everything, to him of all people.

"I'm not ignoring you. I just don't have anything to say to you," Wheeler replied, pretending to inspect a cupboard.

"Well, that is a first!" Linka joked weakly, but Wheeler remained impassive. "Look, Wheeler, what is happening –whatever is going on between us right now– it is not good for the mission…"

"Not good for the mission?" Wheeler repeated, looking at her incredulously. "If you want 'not good for the mission' you need to look at yourself and what you're doing with Paolo!"

"And what exactly is that?!" Linka said hotly, as a familiar feeling of irritation began to creep over her.

"I don't need to say it, Linka. Everybody can see it!" Wheeler replied accusingly. Linka saw that his jaw was set in a firm, uncompromising line.

"See what? See what, Wheeler? Everybody sees things but nobody gives me a chance to explain!"

"We don't need to. You'd have to be a fool not to see what was happening!" Wheeler charged.

Linka marched angrily up to him, stopping only when her face was inches from his.

"Well, then, Wheeler, I guess that makes you a fool," she hissed, her green eyes blazing furiously.

"I must be, because you had me completely fooled," he snapped back, cheeks flushed. "I really thought you were different, Linka. But you're just like other girls. As soon as someone good-looking comes along you-"

"Me?" Linka snorted disbelievingly. "_You _are accusing _me _of chasing after the first good-looking person I see?" she continued, her voice rising rapidly. "Is this some kind of a joke that I am not understanding? Is this your American humour? _You _flirt with anything pretty and yet you are-"

"I don't go throwing myself at anyone!" Wheeler shouted.

Linka recoiled, feeling as though he had slapped her. So this was what he really thought of her. All this time she had thought he knew her better than anyone else but it seemed like all their years together counted for nothing. He knew nothing about her after all. A sudden great sadness filled her, a sense of loss for a friendship she had held closer to her heart than anything else.

"You know something, Wheeler?" she said quietly. "I have never met anyone as selfish as you. You do not care about my feelings. You do not care if you are making me miserable, just so long as you think you can control me! But you need to understand one thing: you do not own me! So, from now on, stay out of my business!"

Now it was Wheeler's turn to look hurt, but he recovered quickly.

"Gladly," he shouted back. "So long as you and Paolo can control yourselves for long enough for us to get the job done, I'll be happy to never say anything to you again!"

Linka opened her mouth to respond, but saw from the corner of her eye the kitchen door open. She and Wheeler turned at the same time to see a beefy man stood in the doorway, looking highly displeased.

"Keep it down in here, you morons!" he barked. "There's important stuff going on!"

"Look, why don't you just get lost!" Wheeler said angrily, seemingly forgetting that they were supposed to be undercover.

"Why don't you," the man jabbed his finger at Wheeler, "and your girlfriend here take your troubles elsewhere? Before I make you regret it…" He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Linka by the hair, dragging her towards the door. "Go on, get out of here."

"Get your hands of her!" Wheeler yelled, instinctively raising his hand.

"Wheeler, NO!" Linka shouted, but it was too late. A jet of flame shot out of his ring, setting the man's shirt on fire. Yelping in surprise and pain, he released Linka and ran for the sink. He quickly drenched his shirt, extinguishing the fire, then turned to them with a look of dawning realisation.

"Ecobrats?!" he spat. "Plunder warned us you might be around." He turned to run back to the conference room, but Linka had anticipated his move.

"WIND," she cried. A powerful gust lifted him off his feet, carrying him across the room and slamming him into the freezer door.

"WHEELER! Why would you do something so stupid? You have just blown our cover!" Linka said angrily, while quickly checking that Plunder's henchman had been knocked unconscious.

"I was trying to protect you. I don't know why I even bothered!" Wheeler snapped.

"You did not have to use your ring," she countered. "And, anyway, I can fend for myself!"

"Well, next time I'll-" Wheeler began heatedly.

"Stop!" Linka interrupted. "There is no time for this. We have to warn the others."

She ran out of the room, Wheeler on her heels. They found Ma-Ti in the reception, flipping through a newspaper.

"Ma-Ti! Quick!" Linka began breathlessly as they skidded to a halt in from of him.

"What is wrong?" Ma-Ti jumped up quickly, looking worried.

"You have to contact Kwame and Gi now!" Wheeler said urgently. "Looten is soon gonna know we're here."

"What? I do not understand," Ma-Ti began, confusedly. "How-"

"It does not matter, Ma-Ti. Just do it," Linka urged. "We have to get out of here!"


	9. Chapter 9

To everyone who has been following this story: I'm really sorry but I've been away with little electricity, let alone internet access, for the past couple of weeks, which is why I haven't updated in a while. On the bright side, I've finished the whole thing; I'm still making small changes here and there, but I hope to be uploading quickly. Hope you enjoy the rest…

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Wheeler could not remember ever seeing Kwame so angry. The closest he had come was when the Ghanaian had witnessed the results of an ivory hunting expedition on one of their early missions, but even then his fury had been tempered by his inherently calm nature. Now, though, Kwame seemed to have lost all sense of reserve as he went over the evening's failure. Wheeler had tried to think of how to explain how they had been caught without telling the whole truth, but Linka had insisted on confessing everything. Now Kwame was bellowing at them about immaturity and emotions interfering with missions. Wheeler felt a sense of shame washing over him as the other three Planeteers glared angrily at him and Linka, but also, strangely, a sense of relief. He had had such high hopes for Rome and it had just been one disaster after another. The sooner they finished their mission, the better, and if that meant they had to force Looten Plunder into action by revealing their presence, then so be it.

"He knows we are here now, so he will try and push his plans early," Kwame warned, echoing Wheeler's thoughts, and looking at him accusingly. "The whole mission has been compromised, so we must act fast. Let me make this clear-" he paused to look at each Planeteer in turn. "There can be NO distractions from here onwards."

Wheeler felt a sense of satisfaction as he saw that Kwame's gaze lingered on Linka, and two bright spots appeared on her cheeks. But he had to admit that he, too, was embarrassed at his role in the fiasco.

"Kwame, if there's anything I can do, I'm ready. Right now," he offered apologetically.

"You have done enough, Wheeler," Kwame said. Wheeler was caught off-guard by the harshness in his friend's voice, but he supposed he deserved it. "There is nothing that can be done tonight, in any case. Looten will have his people watching very carefully. It will be impossible to get close to him. We must get some rest now because we have a lot of work ahead if we are to recover this mission."

As the Planeteers raised themselves from the dining room table and headed to their rooms, Linka looked up and caught Wheeler's eye for the briefest of seconds, and he saw the steely determination in her eyes. That was what he loved –had loved, he corrected himself– about her: no matter what internal turmoil she seemed to be going through she always strove to do the best she could for the Planeteers.

Thinking back to their earlier argument, Wheeler realised that he had been unfair to her. She prided herself on her professionalism, and he knew it and had deliberately targeted her on the issue. But as much as he had tried to make her feel guilty about her behaviour, he knew that she was right: he wanted to declare Linka his and his only, but he did not own her. It broke his heart to see the way her face lit up when Paolo was in the room, the way her cheeks flushed when she laughed at his jokes, but there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't have to like it but, he decided, he was just going to have to bear it. It was going to be difficult after all the time he had spent convincing himself that there was something more between them, but now he had to accept that he and Linka were just friends. And, after tonight's events, he wondered if they were even that…


	10. Chapter 10

"Thank you, Paolo. We will continue from here," Kwame said gratefully, as the Planeteers crowded together in front of a dark alley. They had tracked down Plunder, but had needed the Italian's help to find the location.

"Are you sure? I want to help-" Paolo began, looking around worriedly at the deserted streets.

"No, Paolo. We cannot put you in danger," Kwame said firmly.

Paolo turned to Linka, but she shook her head slightly.

"Kwame is right," she said softly. "We must do this alone." She wanted to say more to assuage his fears but the other Planeteers had already begun to make their way down the alley. With a small wave towards Paolo she followed them.

Linka had only walked a few steps before she realised that something was wrong. The whole place was eerily quiet, and even though it was late at night, she thought she should have been able to see her fellow Planeteers ahead of her, but pitch blackness was all she encountered. It was though all light had been extinguished from her surroundings. She turned around to where Paolo had been standing but the Italian was gone. Before she could call out, a heavy metal object hit the side of her head and she crumbled to the ground.

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A horrible pain throbbed in her head, as a blinding light pierced through her eyelids. Linka could hear a voice calling her name repeatedly, urgently, but it seemed to be coming from far away…

Slowly coming to, she forced her eyes open groggily. From what she could make out through her fuzzy eyesight, she was on the floor of what looked like a warehouse with bright fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling. She made to stand up but found that her arms were bound to a metal fixture behind her. From somewhere beside her the voice continued to call her name. She turned her head in its direction.

"Linka! Thank God you're awake!" The voice was familiar, but she could not place it. Finally, the haze in front of her eyes began to clear and the face formed clearly. It was Paolo, arms and legs also tied. She looked around quickly, heart suddenly pounding. If Paolo was here, where was everyone else? Linka began to struggle against the ropes tying her back.

"I've tried, it's no use. We're stuck," Paolo told her wearily.

"The others! Where are-?" Linka began breathlessly.

"I don't know about the others, but Wheeler's right there," Paolo said, jutting his chin out towards a stack of plastic chairs. Linka had missed it before due to her blurred vision, but now she saw Wheeler lying on the floor against them, unconscious, wrists and ankles tied up. Her heart jumped when she saw a thin line of blood trickling from his nose. She wanted more than anything to free herself and run to him but Paolo was right: they were tied up securely. And even if she had been able to manipulate her hands, she could feel that her ring was missing. Linka felt a crushing sense of desperation. Every time she had been in danger Wheeler had been there to rescue her, but now he appeared to be just as helpless as her, if not worse off.

She heard a groan and to her relief saw that Wheeler was beginning to stir.

"Wheeler!" she cried gratefully.

"Ow! Turn the volume down!" he mumbled, raising his head slightly.

"Oh, Yankee!" Linka half-laughed, half-sobbed.

"What the hell happened?!" Wheeler asked, struggling to his knees, in spite of his bonds.

"We were ambushed," Paolo replied. "I was walking back home when-"

He was interrupted as a door at the far end of the room was flung open and a short, stocky man appeared.

"Argos Bleak!" Wheeler spat, as the figure made its way towards them. "Plunder still sends you to do his dirty work, huh? I'd have thought you'd have moved up after all these years!"

"Shut it, ecobrat!" Looten Plunder's henchman barked. He reached Wheeler and Linka gasped sharply as he kicked the American in the stomach.

"Leave him alone!" she yelled. Bleak turned to her and laughed evilly.

"Or else what, darling?" he snarled, moving towards her menacingly. Up close, Linka could see her and Wheeler's rings glittering on his fingers.

"If you touch her, I swear on my life I'll-" Wheeler began angrily.

"Don't you dare touch her-" Paolo said, simultaneously.

Bleak stopped and looked from Paolo to Wheeler, then at Linka. He laughed again.

"Well, isn't this quite the dilemma? Now, I don't know which one of you torture first," he said, with relish.

"T-torture ?" Linka's voice faltered.

"Well, as you can see we didn't quite manage to capture all of you. And I don't suppose you're going to give up the information on the whereabouts of the others willingly, are you?" Bleak sneered.

"We don't know anything!" Paolo said quickly.

"How could we?" Wheeler continued angrily. "You knocked us out, genius!"

Linka wanted to warn him to stop provoking Bleak with his sharp tongue, but she had to admire his bravery. Not even being tied up and bleeding from a head wound seemed to be able to crush his spirit.

"That's enough from you!" Bleak snarled. "Now, let's see…" He examined each of them carefully, trying to detect any signs of weaknesses on their faces.

Linka willed Wheeler to remain silent and avoid provoking Bleak. She glanced at Paolo out of the corner of her eye, hoping he too would keep quiet, but this turned out to be a mistake, for Bleak followed her eyes and a sinister smile spread over his face.

"Oh, too bad," he taunted Wheeler. "Looks like it's _him_ she cares more about, so he gets to go first. We'll have a confession in no time at all…." He moved towards Paolo, a horrible glint in his eye.

"NO!" Wheeler shouted, struggling against the ropes tying him back. "NO! Take me instead!"

"Wheeler, what are you doing!" Linka and Paolo hissed together.

Wheeler turned to face her and held her gaze, his eyes burning with some unreadable emotion. "Linka, I won't let you watch him suffer," he told her softly. "Now, come on you dumb piece of crap! Are you man enough to take me or what?" he shouted at Argos.

"No, Wheeler!" Linka choked back a sob, as Bleak, enraged, headed towards the American, who was hurling a torrent of abuse at him, and began to kick him furiously.

She struggled against her bonds, and out of the corner of her eye could see Paolo doing the same, but it was no use. For what seemed like an eternity, she watched Bleak aim kick after kick at Wheeler's stomach and ribs, feeling as though every hit was a direct blow to herself. Tears spilled out from her eyes and trickled down her face, as Bleak's foot connected with Wheeler's face, causing blood to spurt from his forehead and flow down his face. Linka heard herself, heard Paolo, begging Bleak to stop, trying to convince him they had no information but the blows continued to rain down on Wheeler.

"WATER!" a voice cried out suddenly, shattering the unbearable scene before them. From somewhere above Linka a pipe ruptured and a burst of water knocked Bleak off his feet.

"EARTH," another voice bellowed, and the ground shook beneath them. As Bleak struggled to his feet, a crater formed behind him. Another pipe split and the water flow knocked him back into the gaping hole.

Linka sobbed with relief as Kwame, Gi and Ma-Ti ran towards them, and began to untie them. As soon as she was free she rushed over to Wheeler, at whose side Ma-Ti knelt, trying to use his power of heart to soothe his pain.

"Linka, what-" the young Planeteer began. But she ignored him, dropping to her knees beside Wheeler. At the sight of his bruised and bloodied face her heart constricted painfully. Words caught in her throat as the rest of the group crowded around her, concern for Wheeler etched on their faces.

"Wheeler, I-" Paolo began quietly. Linka glanced at him and saw that his face, too, was streaked with tears.

"Nah, don't say anything, man," Wheeler said faintly. "I would do anything for my friends." He grinned weakly but his eyes, as his gaze flitted to Linka, were deeply serious. For one brief moment she felt strangely light-hearted as she looked into his eyes, some veiled emotion flitting briefly across her heart. She had no time to ponder over it, though, as Kwame urged them to leave before any more of Looten Plunder's cohorts arrived.


	11. Chapter 11

Shivering Linka drew her knees up close to her body, trying to draw warmth but still she felt a chill coursing through her body. It was an intense cold that she felt right down to her very bones, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. For what had seemed like hours she had been in her and Gi's room alone, unable to get the image of Wheeler's face, contorted with agony, out of her mind. She had cried till there were no more tears left to cry, and still she felt this unshakeable sadness.

She could not remember Gi recounting how the other Planeteers had found them, nor did she even care. All she could see was Wheeler's face, bruised and battered, blood streaming down in rivulets. She hugged her pillow to her body as she remembered the resilience set in his blue eyes as he took blow after blow but refused to give Bleak the satisfaction of crying out in pain.

She felt a crushing sense of guilt for the way things had unfolded. It was not that she would have preferred to see Paolo tortured instead, but the knowledge that Wheeler had sacrificed himself because he thought Paolo's suffering would hurt _her _was almost too much to bear. She had never dreamt that someone could love another person so much as to endure the pain Wheeler had gone through for her.

And what had she ever shown him in return for his love, his willingness to protect her at all costs? Coldness? Disdain? Anger? She had reacted to his affection by being disparaging, brushing him off in irritation; now, she felt disgusted with herself. Her relationship with Wheeler had always seemed so knotted and complex, but now it appeared before her, crystal clear. She knew what she had done wrong and what she had to do to try to put it right…

----------------------------------------------------

Linka knocked gently on the heavy wooden door.

"Yeah?" Wheeler's voice called out faintly from behind it.

"It is me, Yankee. Can I come in?" Linka asked softly. There was a lengthy pause, followed by footsteps and shuffling. The door opened and Wheeler's tired and bruised face appeared. She felt her heart jump at his beaten appearance and wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and never let go, but she forced herself to focus on her task.

"Can I talk to you, please?" she asked him. A shadow passed across the American's face before he stepped back to allow her into the unlit room.

"Um…sure…listen, Linka, if this is about earlier it was really no big deal. Let's just forget it, ok?" he said wearily, avoiding her gaze.

"How can I forget it, Wheeler?" Linka replied, as the guilt threatened to overwhelm her once more. She blinked back the tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. "You risked everything for us. For the first time I saw -I _really_ saw- how you feel about me…and it made me see how much _I _care for you…I-I love you Wheeler."

Linka heard his sharp intake of breath as her words poured out, but, to her surprise, he remained silent; she forced herself to continue before she lost her nerve.

"I will not lie to you. I did like Paolo, but whenever I was with him I could never stop thinking about you. And I knew, finally, that I could never love him because…because my heart belongs to you, Wheeler. Being with Paolo meant that I had to give you up, and I do not know why I did not realise it sooner but I now know that I am not ready to do that." She paused to look at Wheeler but his expression was hidden in the dark room. "You have always been there when I needed you the most; you have given me everything and I have given you nothing back. But I am ready to change that, Wheeler, if you will give me the chance. I know that I have done so many things wrong in the past, but I think I can make it right if we are together."

She waited, breathlessly, for his reaction and for a few, agonising, moments his silence made her think that she had completely misjudged his feelings for her after all. To her huge relief, he finally moved towards her.

"Oh, Linka," he sighed. Kissing her forehead lightly, he drew her into his arms. Linka sank into them gratefully, shoulders sagging as the tension seeped from them. As she revelled in the warmth of Wheeler's arms, she wondered to herself why it had taken her so long to come to her senses. Now, in the familiar comfort of his arms, she thought it ridiculous that she had held her feelings back from him for so long.

Wheeler held her silently for a long time, then pulled away and fixed her gaze in his. His eyes were deep, dark pools in the dim light and Linka felt she might lose herself in them, but for the first time since she had known him, the thought did not fill her with fear.

"I can't, Linka." Wheeler spoke so softly that Linka was not even sure that he had spoken. But no, she had seen his lips move. Her heart skipped several beats as her mind struggled to digest the words.

"Wh-what?" Her voice shook, barely a whisper.

"I can't do it, Linka. I'm sorry. I can't be your second choice."

"Wheeler, you are not!" Linka cried, fighting back a rising panic. "Did you hear what I just said?"

Wheeler shook his head sadly.

"Linka, you're amazing, you really are. You're the smartest person I know; and you're funny; and you're beautiful, insanely beautiful. You're everything I could ever want. But now I know that _I'm_ not everything _you_ could ever want. And I've given you too much of me to settle for only being the next-best thing, Linka. I don't know if I'm being selfish, and I'm sorry if I am, but it's just the way I am. I can't make it work; it'll just keep eating at me, knowing that there was anyone in your heart but me…"

"Wheeler, there-" Linka began insistently.

"Linka, I saw how you were with Paolo," Wheeler cut in. "And that's ok," he added quickly, as she opened her mouth to respond. "I know now that it was stupid for me to expect you to feel the same way about me as I felt about you."

_Felt. _Past tense, Linka noted, as a huge lump rose in her throat.

"Paolo does not mean anything to me," she said, choking back tears. Wheeler smiled sadly.

"Maybe not now. But you thought he did. And who's to say the next guy that comes along won't mean anything to you? Or the one after that? But Linka, from the moment I met you, I never wanted anyone else. You were always the only one. Every day I told myself that one day you would realise you felt the same. Now, I've accepted that you don't…" He paused and Linka read the deep sadness etched in his face. "I can't be with you, Linka, not when I know for sure that you don't love me as much as I love you, that I'm not the one for you the way you are for me."

"But Wheeler, you-"

"No, Linka, don't." Wheeler's voice trembled as he stepped back from her and Linka saw that his eyes were moist. "If you did feel the same then none of this would have happened. There would never have been any doubt in your mind."

"Wheeler," Linka pleaded tearfully. "Until…until what happened tonight I did not realise how much you cared. I mean, you are always flirting with girls; I always thought I was just another one …"

"Oh, come on, Linka," Wheeler laughed dryly. "Did you ever think that any one of them meant anything, anything at all, to me?"

"Well, no…" Linka admitted. "But I-"

"But even if you say you can never love him, I can see that Paolo meant something to you…"

He gazed at her intently, then smiled wryly. "You know, I've spent so long going over this trip in my head and, believe me, it was never supposed to be like this. Rome was supposed to be where you fell in love with me, but it didn't happen that way, so, Linka, please don't make this harder than it already is. I know you're trying to spare my feelings, but you don't have to pretend you feel the same way about me. I've accepted that you don't. But I don't think I can handle being with you now that I know. I'm sorry, I really am..."

He held her eyes in his for a few seconds, face filled with sadness, then turned quickly and left the room.

Linka heard the front door of the apartment open and close, the heavy sound of wood against frame echoing through her body and splintering her heart into pieces she thought could never mend.


	12. Chapter 12

Many apologies again: I experienced a little exam mania, but it's all over now so I can finally get to the climax of this story!

--------------------------------------------------

Crouching behind a column, and waiting for Looten Plunder and his accomplices to show up, Linka wondered how she had come to be in her present situation. In all her daydreams about Rome, she had never dreamt that she would stand in the Coliseum and not be moved by its magnificence and ancient glory. The crumbling structure looked even more imposing and formidable by moonlight, but Linka felt none of the usual excitement that the climax of a mission brought; instead she felt weighted down by a deep misery. Every second of her life since Wheeler had rejected her seemed to pass so slowly, despairingly, sapping her enthusiasm for all the things she had once loved.

She could not explain how, in such a short period of time, she had managed to shatter so many relationships around her. She knew that it would be some time before Kwame forgave her for almost ruining the mission. She had apologised to Gi, but things between them were still strange. It would take some time for things to return to normal. And as for Wheeler…well, Linka was beginning to fear that something- she was not sure what- had been too deeply damaged to be repaired. She had tried to speak to approach him again but, without ever being spiteful, he had pushed her away. A man who usually wore his heart on his sleeve, his face and mind now remained impassive to her probing. It was as though outside of their work together as Planeteers, she no longer existed as a significant part of his life.

But if there was one part of her character Linka took pride in, it was her determination. Though she did not know what to say to win him back, she knew she had to keep trying, to fight for Wheeler the way he had done for her so many times, over the years. The problem was that she did not know where to begin. It was clear to her how she felt about him, but how to convince him of the intensity of her love? She did not know how to open up to him in a way that would make him understand that he _was _the only one for her; that he had always been the only one; and that she was sorry-so, so sorry-that it had taken being with someone else to realise that only Wheeler was right for her. She was, she had to admit, beginning to run out of the ideas.

Forcing back the tears that had threatened constantly to overwhelm her since her heartbreaking rejection, she searched through the dark shadows, trying to identify Wheeler's tall form amongst them, but he had slipped away from her. Perhaps, she thought sadly, for good…


	13. Chapter 13

Wheeler watched silently as Looten Plunder, a few feet away at the edge of the arena, carefully gave his henchmen their final orders. He fought the urge to jump out and confront the villains as Plunder instructed them to head to the World Heritage sites across Italy and trigger the release of various pollutants to destroy them when he gave the signal. He knew that, given his recent behaviour, he had to obey Kwame's strict instructions, and those were not to move until he told them to do so.

He peered at the surrounding columns, trying to find his friends, hidden between the shady structures. He finally made out Ma-Ti, Gi, and Kwame, crouching, ready to pounce at any minute, but Linka was nowhere to be found. His heart fluttered a brief moment of panic, but then he remembered her words: _I can fend for myself. _He smiled thinly, remembering her feistiness. She was right: he had probably overdone it with her. She wasn't a little child who needed his constant protection, as much as he wanted to give it to her. But he couldn't help it: for all his seemingly effortless flirting, she made him emotionally clumsy, in a way that no other girl ever had.

As hard as he had tried to shake her from his mind, she remained there, lodged firmly in all his thoughts, memories, and dreams. Every hour of every day thoughts of Linka, unbidden, seeped into his consciousness. She had, he found, spent too long in his heart to be displaced so easily and the attempts to expel her were, he found, becoming increasingly painful. Once, he had firmly believed that time would heal all wounds, but now, as his heart ached dully in his chest from the loss, he was beginning to wonder whether the hurt would ever go away.

In the countless dreams he had had about the day Linka would finally tell him she loved him, the idea that he might reject her had never once surfaced. Yet, when he had done it he had felt so sure of himself, certain that his heart- along with his ego, he had to admit- would not allow him to accept her love after she had been with Paolo. He had convinced himself that, because Linka did not come to him first, he must have been wrong all along that she was the one for him. But now that he realised that he couldn't stop her constant invasion of his thoughts, uneasy doubt picked relentlessly at him. All day and during sleepless nights, he wondered whether his decision would haunt him forever, whether he had made a huge mistake and let the love of his life go…

So caught up in his thoughts was Wheeler that he failed to see the other Planeteers move forward. They had almost surrounded Plunder and his men before Wheeler noticed. Quickly snapping back to attention, he ran up to join his friends. In his haste he had forgotten to be stealthy, and as he approached the sound of his footsteps attracted Plunder's attention. He and his gang turned round to face the Planeteers. To Wheeler's surprise, there was a small smile playing on Plunder's lips.

"Ah…Planeteers," he said smoothly. "I was wondering when you would show up."

"Your game is up, Plunder!" Wheeler burst out. "We know where the triggers are. We've got you surrounded. Give up now, and maybe we'll go easy on you…"

"Unlikely, foolish boy!" Plunder sneered, seemingly completely unperturbed that he was surrounded. "There are more of my men waiting to set off the triggers."

"Their rings-" one of his henchmen began, looking nervously at the Planeteers. Plunder glanced at him then smiled slyly.

"They won't use them," he said confidently, folding his arms across his chest.

"What makes you so sure?" Gi said fiercely.

"Oh come now, ecobrats," Plunder's said scornfully. "You'll simply bring the rest of this place down. And think how that would look: "Planeteers, supposed saviours of the world, demolish the Coliseum, one of the world's most cherished treasures. Not so good for your image now is it? Not to mention your _consciences_…" He could not hide the scathing contempt in his voice. His men cackled appreciatively, and one of them moved forward, as if to challenge them. Wheeler saw with revulsion that it was Argos Bleak. Hot anger poured through him as he remembered the torture he had endured, and he suppressed the temptation to blast a jet of fire at him.

Bleak's face was twisted in a sinister imitation of a smile as he pointed at Linka.

"The blonde," he leered. "She's the redhead's weak spot. Get her!"

At this, the rage building up inside Wheeler erupted. It didn't matter what Linka had said about being able to protect herself: he was not now, or ever, going to let anything happen to her. This thought flashed across his mind in a split second, and, in a moment of ingenuity, before anyone else could even move, he had created a ring of fire around Looten and his group.

"The fire's going to spread soon. We need to call Captain Planet," he said, turning urgently to his friends, as the men began to yelp from within the circle as tongues of fire licked at them.

Kwame nodded.

"Let our powers combine! EARTH!"

"FIRE!"

"WIND!"

"WATER!"

"HEART!"

As the jets of light shot out from their rings, the villains surrounded by flames fell silent. They must have known what would follow, for they began to curse even before the superhero had materialised before them.

"By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!" In a rapidly spinning blur of red, green, and blue, he had taken shape before them.

The Planeteers stood back at a safe distance, watching as the familiar muscular body hovered in the air, eyeing the men trapped behind the wall of fire. Without a word he disappeared over the walls of the Coliseum, flying back moments later clutching a huge net. Puffing out his chest, he blew and icy gust of wind, instantly cooling the flames.

"Not so fast," he tutted, as the ecovillains began to scatter. He spread the net out, neatly trapping them in one fell swoop. They scrambled in vain against the ropes in which the were entwined, as Captain Planet swooped down to float just above the Planeteers.

"Captain Planet!" Ma-Ti cried. "There are more villains waiting to pull triggers!"

Kwame quickly informed him of which locations had been targeted.

"I'll take care of them, don't you worry," Captain Planet reassured them. "As for these guys," he shook the net roughly, causing the men trapped within to shriek fearfully, "well, you can consider them _ancient history._" He winked at the Planeteers before soaring up and out of sight, ecovillains swinging helplessly in the net below him.

Wheeler heard Looten Plunder's distant shout: "You'll pay for this, Captain Planet!" He chuckled quietly to himself at the now-familiar threat. His mirth quickly faded as he realised that their task was now over, and the physical and mental burden of the last few weeks began to take its toll. Sighing wearily, he reflected that it had been one of the most tiring missions he had ever been one and he could not wait to get home. The warm climate and cool springs always did wonders for his aching body, but now he was hopeful that the peace and calm of Hope Island would help soothe the dull sadness that enveloped him whenever his thoughts strayed to Linka.


	14. Chapter 14

"That was quick thinking, Yankee." Linka's voice was gentle and admiring, as the Planeteers made their way out of the Coliseum. Wheeler turned to look at her, but his expression was unreadable in the moonlit Roman night.

"Thanks," he muttered, turning back to follow Ma-Ti, Gi and Kwame, who were strolling some distance ahead.

"Can I talk to you?" Linka held him back with an arm. She did not know what she was going to say, but something told her that whatever it was, it had to be said then. She felt as though the end of the mission would signal some kind of permanent rupture, and she knew she had to fix their relationship before it happened.

"Look, Linka, let's just get outta here," Wheeler replied evasively. "Being in here is probably really illegal…"

"'Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering… fearing'." The words poured out of Linka's mouth suddenly, her voice trembling slightly. "'Doubting… dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before… But the silence was unbroken'…" she paused and looked up into the American's face, her mouth suddenly dry.

"'And the darkness gave no token'," Wheeler finished quietly. He stared at her so intently that Linka was suddenly grateful for the darkness, which hid the blush creeping up her cheeks. "That's my favourite-"

"I know," she interjected, smiling slightly and moving slightly closer to him. "'The Raven'. And Edgar Allan Poe is your favourite author. But you like us to think you only read comic books. But I know you, Wheeler, and I know you are much, much deeper than you let us believe."

"Linka-"

"No, please, let me talk. My point is not this poem. It is that you think I do not love you enough, and never have. But you are wrong. I think about you all the time and I have realised that I know more about you than I know about myself. You are so open with everyone, yet there are many things you try to hide from us. But I see you, Wheeler, _all _of you, and…and, I love you…more than anything else in the world."

"Lin-"

"Sometimes you have this expression on your face," she pressed on, "and I can tell you are thinking of your mother, and how she is coping without you. You feel guilty because you think you have not tried hard enough to make things better for her. But deep down you know there is nothing you can do. And –and I know when you are thinking of your father, and if you will turn into him someday. But, Wheeler, you will never be like him." She raised tentative fingers to his face. "I know you and you can never be that person."

"Linka," Wheeler's voice seemed uncharacteristically uncertain, "I didn't think …I mean, I thought I was…." He stopped, biting his lip.

"You do not have to hide around me, Wheeler," Linka said gently. "I love that you are so carefree; you make everyone around you happy. But you do not need to pretend that nothing ever troubles you. You do not have to be afraid because there is nothing you can show me that will ever make me stop loving you."

"I do not know how you managed to keep loving me, in spite of everything I have ever done to you… but now I know that I can do the same for you. I used to tell myself I did not need you; now I know I can only ever be happy with you, and it does not make me scared, or angry, because I have finally stopped fighting against myself. I am not trying to make you forgive me because I can see you are not ready and I understand why, but I want you to know that if there is anything I can do to convince you that I love you, and only you; that I have only ever loved you; and that I will only ever love you, then I am willing to do it. Whatever it-"

"Linka, you're wrong," Wheeler interrupted.

At these words Linka felt as though all the air had been forced out of her lungs. She had taken a big chance in revealing herself to him in a way she had previously never thought possible, and now he was going to reject her all over again. He would tell her there was nothing she could ever say to change his mind, that he had never really loved her the way she had imagined, that he did not even love her anymore…

"I _have _forgiven you," his voice broke into Linka's despairing thoughts from what seemed a thousand miles away. "In fact, if I'm honest, there was nothing to forgive," he continued, oblivious to the relief etched across the Russian's face. "You did nothing wrong, Linka. _I _was the jerk, and it's really me I've been angry at because you were right about everything. I had no right to try and stop you from doing anything and I said things to you I really wish I could take back."

"Wheeler, I will not pretend you did not hurt me," Linka said gently. "But I was hurt because I cared so much what you thought about me. Whatever Gi said…it did not stop me. But I thought about you all the time, the things you said about me, and I was angry at myself for being me and not the person you expected me to be…"

"Linka, I'm sorry if you felt like you ever had to change anything for me. I mean, I think you're pretty perfect the way you are and if anyone was doing something wrong, it was probably me!" He grinned wryly, and Linka felt an inexorable urge to throw her arms around him.

"Well, whoever was wrong, I want today to be a new beginning. I know I have confused you many times with the way I have acted, but for the first time I am sure of what I want. I am all yours, Wheeler, and I am not afraid to say it. No more fighting, no more hiding, no more games, just me and you…"

Wheeler's face broke out into a grin so infectious that Linka could not help beaming back.

"Babe, you have _no _idea how long I've waited for this moment. I always-" Linka's finger pressed against his lips trapped his next words in his mouth.

"What did I tell you before, Yankee?" she chided, smiling affectionately. "You talk too much. Just kiss me…"

Wheeler needed no second invitation. He lowered his face to hers, and their lips met, locking in passionate, intense, sensuous embrace. When they finally pulled apart, breathless, Wheeler snaked his arms around Linka's waist, drawing her in so close to him that she could feel his heart thumping. Or perhaps it was hers; she could no longer tell because the misery that had enveloped her earlier was completely gone, replaced by a giddy, delirious, euphoria. Wrapped in Wheeler's arms, she could never imagine ever being unhappy again. She wove her arms around his neck, fingers brushing lightly against his red hair, and tilted her head up so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"I just need to hear you say it one more time," Wheeler whispered. "Just so I know I'm not dreaming and this is all real."

Linka grinned.

"I love you, Yankee."

"Ok, good," he beamed and dropped his head to kiss her again. This time the kiss was longer, more urgent, more intense… Linka had to remind herself that they were in a public place, with their friends nearby, before she managed to, reluctantly, draw away from the American.

"Wheeler?"

"Mmmm…" he murmured from somewhere in her shoulder, his breath softly tickling her skin. A pleasurable shiver coursed up Linka's spine and she almost forgot her next words.

"I know I said I would be different, but we have to remember that we are Planeteers. We are doing important work, so during missions no…how do you say it… 'funny business'?"

"Linka, you're blushing," Wheeler teased, placing gentle hands on her burning cheeks. "You're so cute…" He kissed the tip of her nose. "You have nothing to worry about, babe. No 'funny business' from me. But can I at least hold your hand when the others are around?" He joked. Laughing, Linka took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

"Of course, Yankee," she grinned.

"Ok, sooo…does this make me your…boyfriend?" Wheeler asked innocently, but Linka knew there was a twinkle in his eyes.

"Hmmm…I do not know about that. We will get there later…" she smiled coyly, as they ambled slowly in the direction their friends had disappeared in.

"Linka!"

"What? I have opened myself up to you so much already. You have to be patient with me, and maybe in one year or two I will call you my boyfriend…"

"I'll remember that promise, babe…Now, why don'tcha tell me all about this old crumbling building. I think I've developed a liking for the place…" He slung an arm around her shoulder, and she wrapped one around his waist drawing him in closer as they made their way towards their friends. They could now see Kwame, Gi and Ma-Ti engaged in conversation, as thought they had not noticed their absence.

"I knew you would grow to appreciate it, Yankee. It is quite fascinating, really. In Roman times, Emperor Ves-"

"Um…can you just skip to the bit with the gladiators and the fighting and sacrifices?" Wheeler cut in.

"Wheeler!" Linka protested. "You will never change, will you?!"

"Nope!" he grinned cheerfully. "But that's ok, 'cos you said you love everythingabout me."

"Are you going to make me wish I never said that?"

"Maybe…" Wheeler chuckled. "Hey, listen, you know what you said before? About convincing me that you loved me and only me?"

"Mmmm?"

"Well, I think I've figured out how you can _really _convince me…" Grinning wickedly, his hand inched lower down her back…. Linka laughed and swatted him lightly on the arm.

"Wheeler!"

"What, babe?" he protested. "I was thinking something nice and simple, like dinner and a movie. What were _you _thinking?" He raised his eyebrows, eyes wide with feigned innocence

"Wheeler, you are impossible!" Linka laughed again.

"But you love it…."

"_Da_…but do not make me regret it …"

"What took you so long?" Kwame asked nonchalantly, as they finally came within earshot of the other Planeteers. Wheeler and Linka looked at each other, knowing they could not possibly explain what had happened between them, not when it was so new to them.

"Oh, we were just… sorting some stuff out…" Wheeler began, suddenly aware of his tell-tale arm around Linka.

Kwame and Ma-Ti hid their grins, but Gi snorted, barely suppressing her giggle.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say it took you long enough!"

------------------------------------------------------------------

That last chapter and reunion was surprisingly hard to write! I even briefly considered not getting them together at all, but I knew that would be breaking the unwritten code of CP fic: Wheeler and Linka ALWAYS get together…Anyway, hope you liked this one, and your comments and feedback are, as usual, appreciated :-).


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